The Fiske surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,110 people carried this name — #8,060 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 71,900 people counted. That is up 5% from 3,921 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Fiske surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the fish’.

His entry covers Fisk and Fiske.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 289 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

398 people named Fiske are counted in Norway and Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers.

Counted, by country

Norway (2025) 377
Sweden (2022) 21

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Fiske was found among the farmers of Suffolk: 16 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Fisk and Fiske.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Suffolk 16

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Fiske in American newspapers,
1905–1912.

Newspaper page from Arizona Republican carrying the name Fiske
Arizona Republican 1912-10-05
Newspaper page from Pine Bluff Daily Graphic carrying the name Fiske
Pine Bluff Daily Graphic 1908-01-14
Newspaper page from The Minneapolis Journal carrying the name Fiske
The Minneapolis Journal 1905-05-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 114,988 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Fiske in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

2,404 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fiske. The most, 764, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 802
New South Wales 600
South Australia 284
Queensland 283
Western Australia 201
Tasmania 200
ACT (Canberra) 16
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fiske.

Who carried it

People named Fiske,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Wesley Lewis Fiske
    Wesley Lewis Fiske 1823–1887 · politician
  • Lewis R. Fiske
    Lewis R. Fiske 1825–1901
  • Mary Anne Fiske d. 1869
  • Nicholas Fiske 1579–1659 · astrologer
  • Phineas Fiske 1682–1738
  • Edwards W. Fiske 1805–1874 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Fiske,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States651 records

651 records of the Fiske name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 206
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 151
  • Other U.S. records 294
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles E. Fiske

    Born 1917 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1943 at Boston; sales clerk from Norfolk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Halfax - Central Cemetery, Halifax, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Carl Fiske

    Arrived at New York in 1882 aboard the Neckar from Bremen, aged 18; farmer. From Oldenburg, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record John B. Fiske

    U.S. Army veteran. Born 1934, died 1991; buried at Utah State Veterans Cemetery, Riverton, Utah.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 651 records for Fiske in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Norway77 records

77 records of the Fiske name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Gjertrud Fiske

    Census of 1910: Gamle Kongevei, Trondhjem; laundry maid, born 1860 in Surendalen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Torsten Fiske

    Census of 1910: Myran (plads) Rodal, Aure; forestry worker, born 1886 in Valsøfjord.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Even Fiske

    Census of 1910: Harang (Østigaard) (gaard), Surendalen; farm labourer, born 1890 in Surendalen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 77 records for Fiske in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia55 records

55 records of the Fiske name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 27
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 23
  • Other Australian records 5
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Fiske

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Maria Somes, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Norfolk.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Fiske

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Southampton, aged 27; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Jeffrey Stewart Fiske

    Gentleman of Kilsyth, Victoria; died 1993.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 55 records for Fiske in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada42 records

42 records of the Fiske name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 34
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Fiske

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Avon, landing at Quebec, bound for London, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John James Fiske

    Died 1984, aged 74; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ellen Fiske

    Died 1921 in Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 42 records for Fiske in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany20 records

20 records of the Fiske name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Friedrich Fiske

    From Marienhütte, Rummelsburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 21 September 1915 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 31).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Wilhelm Fiske

    From Charlottenburg. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 5 August 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hugo Fiske

    From Marienhütte, Rummelsburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 24 June 1916 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 75).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Fiske in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the Fiske name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Aleida Maria Fiske

    Born 1829 in Zutphen.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Margaret Love Fiske

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Gerardus Fiské

    Born 1826 in Zutphen.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Fiske in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Fiske.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fiske.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Fiske is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Fiske volume
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